KOTA SAMARAHAN: Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) is set to establish a Faculty of Law and is expected to commence operations in 2026.
UNIMAS vice chancellor Dr Ahmad Hata Rasit said documentation for the establishment is currently being prepared, with several meetings held involving experts from various universities that already offer such programmes.
He said the initiative was proposed by Head of State Tun Pehin Sri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, who also serves as the fourth Chancellor of UNIMAS.
“In fact, Tun (Wan Junaidi) has always supported us and has assisted in fostering connections with the Malaysian Legal Profession Qualifying Board and the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) Malaysia,” he told Sarawak Tribune in an exclusive interview recently.
Ahmad Hata added that currently a Bachelor of Laws programme is offered at Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus in collaboration with Universiti Malaya (UM).
“With the establishment of the Law Faculty at UNIMAS, we will be able to offer a Master of Laws programme to the people of Sarawak and Malaysia in general,” he said.
He said the faculty will be developed once approval is obtained following thorough studies conducted by the MOHE and the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA).
Ahmad Hata also expressed interest in collaborating with UM in offering this programme.
“This is because Sarawak currently does not have a Master of Laws programme. God willing, it will be our goal to enable students to pursue higher education in the field of law,” he said.
He said UNIMAS would also seek input from the Sarawak government to include laws related to the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) and Native Customary Rights (NCR) in the academic programme.
“We will expose students to all this knowledge, including international law, as well as laws in Sarawak, Malaysia, and abroad. This is to ensure they become more competitive and capable as future law enforcers and beyond,” he added.
In December last year, MOHE had conducted assessments to establish a Faculty of Law at a public institution of higher education (IPTA) in Sarawak.
Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir mentioned that currently 20 universities nationwide offer law courses, seven of which are IPTAs.
“For public universities, UM has also begun offering a Bachelor of Laws programme in Sarawak using the facilities of Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak, starting October 2024,” he said.
Furthermore, Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg in May this year said the state government is in discussions with UM regarding the establishment of its off-campus law faculty in Sarawak.
He said the faculty’s curriculum could include elective subjects including the Inter-Governmental Committee (IGC) Report, the Cobbold Commission Report, and traditional law.
“We are still discussing the matter with UM. We want the students to study law in Sarawak for two years and spend another two years in Kuala Lumpur,” he said.
